What are your favorite CTCLs (and similar) and why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CTCL schools aren't worth anything close to sticker price. But if you're good enough to get a lot of merit aid from them, you can get into a much better college that actually has a name. Therein lies the rub.

The prestige obsession on here really bothers me. A lesser known school may be a fantastic fit for a student and the environment and supports may help a student graduate that wouldn’t or do better than they would have. This craziness over rank causes so many problems and so much anxiety with our students.

Honestly, from an employer’s perspective, there is not much difference between a school ranked at 50 and a school ranked at 80. I hire at work for good jobs (many entry level). I am not concerned where someone went as long as they have a decent GPA and got the degree. I do look askance at for profit and fully online programs.

You have to learn to ignore those idiots. They have different values than we do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CTCL schools aren't worth anything close to sticker price. But if you're good enough to get a lot of merit aid from them, you can get into a much better college that actually has a name. Therein lies the rub.

The rub depends on the size of your bank account. Students who get large merit aid awards from lower-ranked colleges probably can get into a higher rated college with a more recognizable name. But that's good only for bragging rates if you can't afford the price tag.

This is why statements like yours become tiresome. Are you under the impression that families are charmed by the offer of merit aid and get lured away from higher-ranked schools because the aid makes them feel special? That might be true in a small number of cases, but IME not very often. For most families seeking merit aid, the choice is not between, say, Clark with merit aid and Amherst. The choice is between Clark with merit aid and the big in-state flagship, because that is the affordable alternative. If you want a small-college experience, then you go to Clark. Amherst is never really in the running at all for these families, because it's too expensive unless they qualify for a lot of need-based aid.

Few students approach the college search with the goal of collecting merit scholarships. Most approach the college search looking for a particular type of school or a particular type of experience. You find the schools that offer that experience, and then you figure out whether you are a good candidate for admission to each and whether you can afford the cost of attendance. In your opinion, perhaps, the in-state public would always be a better choice than Clark. Other people feel differently. ~shrug~

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all the previous posters who followed up on my typo-riddled question on Eckerd and marine science. Lots of interesting leads - much appreciated! And yes, my marine science son has also been advised to be cautious about over-specializing too early, so looking into general bio for undergrad as well. Eckerd might end up being a very good backup. It does look like a great place for a kid that can remain focused among all that kayaking and sailing..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CTCL schools aren't worth anything close to sticker price. But if you're good enough to get a lot of merit aid from them, you can get into a much better college that actually has a name. Therein lies the rub.

The rub depends on the size of your bank account. Students who get large merit aid awards from lower-ranked colleges probably can get into a higher rated college with a more recognizable name. But that's good only for bragging rates if you can't afford the price tag.

This is why statements like yours become tiresome. Are you under the impression that families are charmed by the offer of merit aid and get lured away from higher-ranked schools because the aid makes them feel special? That might be true in a small number of cases, but IME not very often. For most families seeking merit aid, the choice is not between, say, Clark with merit aid and Amherst. The choice is between Clark with merit aid and the big in-state flagship, because that is the affordable alternative. If you want a small-college experience, then you go to Clark. Amherst is never really in the running at all for these families, because it's too expensive unless they qualify for a lot of need-based aid.

Few students approach the college search with the goal of collecting merit scholarships. Most approach the college search looking for a particular type of school or a particular type of experience. You find the schools that offer that experience, and then you figure out whether you are a good candidate for admission to each and whether you can afford the cost of attendance. In your opinion, perhaps, the in-state public would always be a better choice than Clark. Other people feel differently. ~shrug~

"Few"? Get real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We also liked some CTCLs in the pacific northwest, especially Puget Sound. Tacoma is a really nice city. The campus is stunning. The school leans left politically but also has a group of very pre-rofessional students. It's not far from Seatac so getting there is easy if you're willing to fly.

Whitman is more remote, being a few hours drive into Eastern Washington, but also fantastic.

Willamette is also nice. It's near the Oregon State capitol and pretty close to Portland.

There's also Reed, but that's a more intense academic experience than the others.

Which of these three schools (excluding Reed for obvious reasons) would be the best fit for a conservative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CTCL schools aren't worth anything close to sticker price. But if you're good enough to get a lot of merit aid from them, you can get into a much better college that actually has a name. Therein lies the rub.

The rub depends on the size of your bank account. Students who get large merit aid awards from lower-ranked colleges probably can get into a higher rated college with a more recognizable name. But that's good only for bragging rates if you can't afford the price tag.

This is why statements like yours become tiresome. Are you under the impression that families are charmed by the offer of merit aid and get lured away from higher-ranked schools because the aid makes them feel special? That might be true in a small number of cases, but IME not very often. For most families seeking merit aid, the choice is not between, say, Clark with merit aid and Amherst. The choice is between Clark with merit aid and the big in-state flagship, because that is the affordable alternative. If you want a small-college experience, then you go to Clark. Amherst is never really in the running at all for these families, because it's too expensive unless they qualify for a lot of need-based aid.

Few students approach the college search with the goal of collecting merit scholarships. Most approach the college search looking for a particular type of school or a particular type of experience. You find the schools that offer that experience, and then you figure out whether you are a good candidate for admission to each and whether you can afford the cost of attendance. In your opinion, perhaps, the in-state public would always be a better choice than Clark. Other people feel differently. ~shrug~

"Few"? Get real.

You think the GOAL is to get merit scholarships? No. The goal is to be able to afford to attend a desired college. Merit aid is the way that happens for some.

[Anonymous]

I told you to ignore the idiots. They are not educable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CTCL schools aren't worth anything close to sticker price. But if you're good enough to get a lot of merit aid from them, you can get into a much better college that actually has a name. Therein lies the rub.

The rub depends on the size of your bank account. Students who get large merit aid awards from lower-ranked colleges probably can get into a higher rated college with a more recognizable name. But that's good only for bragging rates if you can't afford the price tag.

This is why statements like yours become tiresome. Are you under the impression that families are charmed by the offer of merit aid and get lured away from higher-ranked schools because the aid makes them feel special? That might be true in a small number of cases, but IME not very often. For most families seeking merit aid, the choice is not between, say, Clark with merit aid and Amherst. The choice is between Clark with merit aid and the big in-state flagship, because that is the affordable alternative. If you want a small-college experience, then you go to Clark. Amherst is never really in the running at all for these families, because it's too expensive unless they qualify for a lot of need-based aid.

Few students approach the college search with the goal of collecting merit scholarships. Most approach the college search looking for a particular type of school or a particular type of experience. You find the schools that offer that experience, and then you figure out whether you are a good candidate for admission to each and whether you can afford the cost of attendance. In your opinion, perhaps, the in-state public would always be a better choice than Clark. Other people feel differently. ~shrug~

"Few"? Get real.

You think the GOAL is to get merit scholarships? No. The goal is to be able to afford to attend a desired college. Merit aid is the way that happens for some.

Yes, I do think that merit money is the GOAL for students with high test scores/GPA and a limited amount of funding. If their parents make over a certain amount of money, they're not getting financial aid, so rather than borrow money, they're looking for merit money. What world do you live in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CTCL schools aren't worth anything close to sticker price. But if you're good enough to get a lot of merit aid from them, you can get into a much better college that actually has a name. Therein lies the rub.

How is this responsive to what OP asked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CTCL schools aren't worth anything close to sticker price. But if you're good enough to get a lot of merit aid from them, you can get into a much better college that actually has a name. Therein lies the rub.

The prestige obsession on here really bothers me. A lesser known school may be a fantastic fit for a student and the environment and supports may help a student graduate that wouldn’t or do better than they would have. This craziness over rank causes so many problems and so much anxiety with our students.

Honestly, from an employer’s perspective, there is not much difference between a school ranked at 50 and a school ranked at 80. I hire at work for good jobs (many entry level). I am not concerned where someone went as long as they have a decent GPA and got the degree. I do look askance at for profit and fully online programs.

Except here's the thing: the large majority of DCUM posters who insist that CTCL schools are "special" are posters whose kids either cannot get into top ranked schools or can't afford them and are lured by CTLC merit aid. Posters should just state the obvious instead of inflating the schools into something they're not.

[Anonymous]

Unless you have a kid at one of those schools, I will continue to listen to those posters instead of you.

Do you also write reviews on Amazon for products that you have not bought?

[Anonymous]

My kid was near top of kid's class and almost went to CTCL but didn't. Kid got into very selective SLAC with a vibe similar to CTCL. Most applicants don't get into that SLAC. Kid was really happy about having a fantastic backup plan and seriously considered the backup as possible first choice.

[Anonymous]

In response to the question about which CTCL colleges are good for conservatives, there are quite a few that lean conservative. Just read the descriptions on the CTCL website. Conservatives attend almost all of the CTCLs pretty happily, but conservatives are a distinct minority at many CTCLs and an obvious majority at some others. A pro-business libertarian conservative should find a happy home at most of them. An anti-gay, anti-immigrant, pro-police-brutality conservative might have trouble socially at the majority of CTCLs. There are several in the south, in Michigan and Indiana that attract many conservatives.

In the Pacific Northwest, you'll find quite a few libertarian future business people at Puget Sound, Whitman and Willamette. Puget Sound even had a business school but turned it into a business major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid was near top of kid's class and almost went to CTCL but didn't. Kid got into very selective SLAC with a vibe similar to CTCL. Most applicants don't get into that SLAC. Kid was really happy about having a fantastic backup plan and seriously considered the backup as possible first choice.

But, in the end, he went to the name school. That says it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Woo-hoo

Got mine to apply; very nice merit award. Couldn’t get her to visit or attend. I had visited on way back from Ohio dropping DS off at another CTCL school and liked it a lot. The students were engaging. You know what they say - youth is wasted on the young.